PPC reporting: How to extract insights from your paid campaigns

PPC advertising is about delivering targeted messages to potential customers on a broader scale. Yet many businesses focus too heavily on refining ad copy, adjusting bids, and tweaking targeting—without thoroughly analyzing the data.

When you pay closer attention to performance indicators, you’ll better understand what’s working and what isn’t and how to fine-tune your ads for maximum impact.

The real challenge isn’t a lack of interest in data but rather the complexity of extracting insights from scattered platforms, where trends become obscured, and decision-making turns reactive instead of strategic. Using the right PPC marketing tools to effectively gather and present information is essential.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through three steps for effective PPC reporting.

Why are PPC reports important?

They pinpoint what’s working (and what isn’t)

PPC reports show you exactly which campaigns, keywords, or audiences are delivering results—and which aren’t. However, simply identifying trends isn’t enough. Insights from data must be actionable, allowing marketers to adjust strategies, optimize creatives, and refine targeting based on real performance indicators.

They inform your broader marketing strategy

PPC data isn’t just about clicks. It reveals trends that impact your entire strategy. A strong PPC report connects ad performance with broader business goals, helping to optimize customer journeys, improve content strategy, and even influence product offerings.

They justify the spend

Every dollar spent on PPC needs to show its value. Reports help you prove ROI to stakeholders, whether that’s your client, your boss, or your own team. Advanced attribution models, such as data-driven attribution, can provide a more accurate picture of how PPC fits within a multi-channel strategy.

They automate and optimize your reporting process

Many digital marketers still rely on manual reporting, which is time-consuming and prone to errors. Automating reporting with the right PPC reporting software can save time, but not all teams have access to advanced solutions.

Agencies also face the challenge of standardizing and scaling client reporting when different clients use different platforms and track different metrics. You also have to manage client expectations—some expect instant results without understanding the bigger picture of PPC performance.

What should you include in a PPC report?

Just like in a meaningful conversation, knowing what details to share—and what to leave out—keeps your message clear.

1. Consider your stakeholders and their goals

Before deciding what to include in your PPC report, it's essential to understand who is reading it. Different stakeholders have different priorities, so the way you present your data should align with their goals:

• Senior executives may want to see high-level KPIs like return on ad spend (ROAS) and overall campaign performance.
• Marketing teams need metrics like cost per click (CPC), cost per acquisition (CPA), and attribution modeling.
• Sales teams may benefit from insights into lead quality, customer lifetime value, and conversion paths.

2. Review the key metrics to include

Key performance metrics in PPC reporting should align with business objectives. In addition to the common metrics like CTR (click-through rate), CPC, and ROAS, consider the following advanced insights:

• Customer acquisition cost (CAC) – Measures the total cost of acquiring a customer, including ad spend, landing page optimization, and sales efforts.
• First-click vs. last-click attribution – Understanding how PPC contributes to conversions throughout the funnel.
• Quality score trends – Google assigns a quality score based on ad relevance, expected CTR, and landing page experience. Tracking this metric over time helps optimize performance.

3. Put all the information together

One of the biggest hurdles in PPC reporting is unifying data from multiple channels. For example, you might have cost details in various ad platforms, conversion metrics in a separate system, and performance data scattered across spreadsheets.

Consolidating this information into a single source of truth helps you see the bigger picture and make better decisions.

PPC reporting tools

• Marketing platforms: Ad platforms like Meta, LinkedIn, and Google have their basic reports that you can use to monitor your performance. However, if you want to combine data from different platforms, and/or build custom reports, it’s better to bring your ad data into other reporting tools.
• Spreadsheets like Google Sheets and Excel: These are great for ad-hoc analysis. For example, you can use Supermetrics to automatically pull cross-channel data into Google Sheets and then use different formulas and functions to dive deeper into your data.
• Data visualization tools like Looker Studio and Power BI: Similarly, you can also use Supermetrics to automate data collection to build visually appealing dashboards. Having a dashboard makes it easy to monitor trends and communicate insights with different stakeholders. Not sure which data visualization tool is right for you? Check out our Looker Studio vs. Power BI comparison guide.

For more insights on choosing the right tools, check out our marketing reporting software guide.

How to communicate your insights

Once you’ve defined the purpose of your PPC reports and identified the essential metrics, the next step is to tell the story behind the numbers. This isn’t just about presenting data—it’s about transforming it into the next steps for your audience.

What are some types of PPC reports you can create?

Different audiences require different reporting approaches. Here are five types of PPC reports you can tailor to your needs:

• Campaign performance reports – Focus on high-level metrics like ROAS, CTR, and overall conversions.
• Keyword reports – Highlight keyword-level performance to identify top-performing terms and opportunities for improvement.
• Audience Iínsights reports – Analyze demographic and behavioral data to understand the most engaged audiences.
• Ad creative reports – Break down the performance of specific ad creatives to inform future designs and messaging.
• Attribution reports – Show how various touchpoints contribute to conversions and which channels drive the most value.

How can you personalize and visualize your reports?

Effective communication starts with personalization and clear visualization.

• Use templates to simplify the process – Supermetrics offers pre-designed templates for faster reporting.
• Focus on visuals that tell a story – Replace overwhelming spreadsheets with graphs, charts, and heat maps.
• Segment reports based on audience – Tailor insights for different departments (sales, finance, etc.).

Incorporate laws of UX for client-facing reports

• Keep layouts clean and uncluttered.
• Use consistent colors and fonts.
• Include data visualizations like bar charts or line graphs to highlight key metrics.

Why should you include a report summary?

A report summary serves as the "punchline" of your data story.

• Summarize key findings in 2–3 sentences.
• Highlight performance drivers and areas of concern.
• Provide actionable recommendations based on the data.

Final thoughts

Once you’ve broken down the process, it’s simple.

With the right tools, you can feel more confident in your PPC reports and decisions. Supermetrics takes the hassle out of data collection, so you spend less time pulling numbers and more time understanding what’s working—and what’s not.

Start your 14-day free trial with Supermetrics today.